Nearly 14% of iPhone users long for Apple Homepod: Survey

With Amazon Echo and Google Home dominating the voice-activated device game, iPhone users are now showing more interest in Apples newly-launched wireless home speaker Homepod, a survey has revealed.IANS | July 08, 2017, 15:25 IST

San Francisco: With Amazon Echo and Google Home dominating the voice-activated device game, iPhone users are now showing more interest in Apples newly-launched wireless home speaker Homepod, a survey has revealed.

According to US-based wealth management firm Raymond James, 14 per cent of iPhone users are interested in purchasing Apple Homepod which debuted last month at the tech giant's WWDC event.

"If we combine with those that intend to own a Beats wireless speaker, [Homepod ownership intent] exceeds the ownership interest in both speech-enabled speaker leader Amazon and Bluetooth speaker leader, Bose," Raymond James analysts Tavis McCourt and Mike Koban were quoted as saying in geomarketing.com late on Friday.

"Initial interest in HomePod seems better than the tepid media reaction would suggest," they added.

The Apple wireless speaker delivers amazing audio quality and uses spatial awareness to sense its location in a room and automatically adjust the audio.

Designed to work with an Apple Music subscription for access to over 40 million songs, "HomePod" provides deep knowledge of personal music preferences and tastes and helps users discover new music.

"HomePod" will be available starting in December, initially in Australia, Britain and the US.

"HomePod" comes with A8 microprocessor chip, the same power engine in iPhones and iPads.

It is deemed a more expensive competitor of Amazon Echo, which was released two years ago.

Separately, RCom initiated contempt proceedings in the apex court against the Department of Telecommunications, blaming it for delaying a spectrum sale that would have enabled dues to be paid to Ericsson and lenders.